Engine-starter.



No. 891,623. PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908.

. v G. B. LAZBNBY.

ENGINE STARTER. APPLIUATION FILED we. 7, 1907.

2 SHEET$-SHEET l 5 T TOHNE 1 3 CLAYTON BLlSS LAZENBY, OF CLAW-AGO, XLLINOIS ENGINE -STARTER.

Speeifioation of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1908.

Application filed August 7, 1907. semi No. 357,490.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAYTON BLISS LA- ZENBY, av citizen of the United States and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cool;

and State of Illinois, have invented new and Improved Engine-Starter, of which the following is full, clear, and exact description.

Tlhis'ii'iv-ention relates to eeitain improve ments in engine starters, and more portion-- lei-1y to an ongii e starter especially adapted for usev upon 2i motor vehicle, and so designed as to be readily connected to the steering mechanism and operated therefrom.

The invention also involves means whereby the starting mechanism and the steering gent are automatically detached from operative engagement- With the engine after the starting of said. engine is accomplished.

Reference is to he hztd to the :ieemnpnnying di'n'e'ings, forming a port of this specification, inwhieh similar characters of reference indicate corresponding ports in all the ligui'es, end in which Fi 'uie i is n side elevation of a portion of a vehieie having a starting nieehnnisni ozsti'uotod in. zu-cordnnoe with my inventii'in; Fig 23 :i detail sei'tion through the oluti-h and OlMTfiilllg mechanism therel'oi with the ports in the positionthey occupy when the starter being employed Fig. 3 is section simi an to Fig but shoe 1 he parts in inoperative oidetnel id position; and lfigA a detail se-iwlion showing one means employed i starting and steering mechan- A oved mechanism is adopted for Sllill'l'i"; any form oi internal combustion engine, and is especially designed for starting such :m engine when the letter is mounted upon a motor vehicle. E In the drawings I have illustrated a por tion ol a vehicle having a multiple cylinder engine disposed at the front portion thereof, and having a steering column 11 disposed in the customary position With its lower end oi'ovided with suitable arm and link connections 12 to the front wheels 13 of the velnolo and with a steering Wheel 14 at the upper end end disposededyeoent the l'mnt seat 15 of the vehicle. The engine l l *l l shalt in e .ieni s momvnt iioni t 1e engine to the T6511 portion of the vehicle for transinitjt 1g motion to the rear Wheels and is provided with the usual ily wheel 17 All of the paths referred to one ooh-- to engage with the collar 19.

illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. l, that stantially identical with those commonly employed in various forms of motor vehicles, and the mechanism involving my invention is so designed as to be readily adaptable to the common forms of these pai'ts.

Upon the drive shaft 16 of the engine 1 rovide a clutch ineluuing two collars 1S and 19, the former being slidably mounted upon the shaft but non-rotatable in respect thereto, and the other being rotate-lily moon u but held len a movement by suitzihi mech n as, for instance, no 30. The engaging surfaces of the two co is are provided with teeth, whereby tion oi the collar 19 in one direction ytill cause the simultaneous rotation of the collar 18 and the shaft keyed thereto. One oi the collars, i9, is provided with mechanism whereby it may be manually-rotated, and the other eollei', 18, is provided with mechan ism whereby it may be moved longitudinally The mechanism for rotating the collar 19 preferably includes a sprocket Wheel 21 carried by said eollni and connected by it chain 22 leading to :i sprocket wheel 23 upon an auxiliary shalt 24. Llns sum: 15 supporteu in any suitable hem extending downward from the vehicle lied y and end of the shaft ex tends: to a point ml iii the steering column or red ll Sui mailing the column 01 steering rod 11, e is provided 21- sleeve 25, so constructed as to he rigidly looked to the column at the upper end thereof, and ooern- Lively connected in ii shiiit 2 at its lime: end by suitable gearing, as, for instance bevel. 2-5 and 27.

In the specific form illustrated the sleeve 25 is rigidly secured to the steering Wheel 1%, iindthe locking meehnnisni comprises i. bolt slide-lily mounted within a boss 3O carried by the Wheel and adopted to enter recess he peiipliei'y oi the wheel, and so oom stiueted that when moved to a position at an angle to the wheel, the bolt 29 is-di'a-Wi'i out Word end-out of the recess in the column;

while when swung inward to the position is i, 7 to position substantially in the plane of the wheehthe bolt 29 is ioreed into the recess 3i nndtne sleeve 25 and column 11 are rigidly loo ed By m is this 310Gb: 1 the bolt may he W1 from onrotngagement with the steering column and the steering wheel employed for rotating the collar 19 of the clutch, without alterin the as the steering'mechanism is operated to guide the machine the collar 19 would also be rotated, but as the collar '18 would be out of engagement with the collar 19 at this time, 1t would have no efieet upon the shaft of the engine.- i

For throwing the collar 18 into engage,-

ment with the collar 19 and for automatically separating said collars when the engine is started, I preferably provide the mechanism illustrated in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. The

collar 18 is provided with an annular groove in its peri hery which engages with the yoke arms of a ever 34, the opposite end ofwhich is pivoted to the vehicle body or frame. A second' lever 35 is also pivoted to the vehicle frame or body and has one end connected to the first-mentioned lever by a telescopic link, and the end connected to certain 0 erating mechanism adapted to'be contro led eitherby the hand or the foot. The specific mechanism illustrated comprises a pedal 36 and a connecting link 37. The telescopic link connections between the levers 34 and '35 preferaby comprise two rods38' and 39 in 'alinement, the former of which is provided with an enlarged end 40 having a recess for the reception of the rod 39. ,The two rodsare supported suitable guides 41 and 42, and surrounding the rod 38 and engaging with the guide 41 and enlarged end 40, is a coil spring 43 tendin to move the rod 38 longitudinally and pu ll the clutch-collar 18 out of engagement with the clutch collar 19. Within the enlarged end 40 and in engage ment with the end of the rod 39, is a second coil spring 44 normally tending to separate the two rods. The enlarged end 40 1s provided with a slot 45 in one side thereof, and

the inner rod 39 carries a spring catch 46 having a beveled end and adapted to engage in a notch 46 in the frame sup orting the guides 41 and 42. The outer en 39 is provided with a slot 47, engaged by a projection from the lever 35. In the operation of this portion'of my invention, the application of pressure to the pedal 36 causes the lever 35 to force the rod 39 longitudinally and in the direction of the rod 38. As the rod 39 reaches the position indicated in Fig. 2, the catch 46 engages in the notch of the support and holds the rod againstrcturn movement. longitudinally against the action ot' the spring 43 and the collar 18 is brought into engagement with the collar 19. At this tion is transmitted to the collar 19 and.

of the rod The spring 44 forces the rod 38' the engine shaft and the starting of the enme. ar 18 rotates at a faster rate than the collar 19 is rotatin thus causing the collar 18 to move latera ly against the action of the s ring 44 to separate the collars and permit the teeth to slip past each other. This longitudinal movement of the rod 38 by the collar-18 causes the end of the slot 45 to come into engagement with the cam end of the catch 46 and force it inward out of the notch with which it is in engagement. This releases the rod 39 and permits it to move longitudinally under the combined action of the springs 43 and 44. By means of the catch 46, it is unnecessary to hold the foot in en- As soon as the engine starts, the colgagement with the pedal 36 after the catch permitted to return to its former position,

due to the presence of the slot 47 in the end of the rod 39 and in which the end of the lever 35 engages. The slot forms with the lever lost motion connections and permits of a free and unrestricted return movement of the rod 39 afterthe pedal has been previously returned to its former position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire Patent:

1, In a motor vehicle, an engine having a shaft, a collar rotatably mounted upon said shaft,'steering. mechanism, means for r'otating said collar from said steering mechanism, and independently-operated means for locking said collar to said shaft.

2. In a motor vehicle, two concentric "members, one 01'' said members comprising a neous rotation by said wheel.

3. in a motor vehicle, a steering rod, a sleeve surrounding the same, en ine starting mechanism connected'to said tl ceve at one end thereof,,a steering wheel connected to said sleeve at the o )posite end thereof, a longitudinally-movable bolt carried by said wheel and movable into or out of engagement with said steering rod, and a handle carried by said Wheel for controlling said bolt. v

4. In a motor vehicle, an engine having an engine shaft, a sleeve, manually-operated means carried by said sleeve at one end thereof for-rotating the same, a collar rotatably mounted on said. engine shaft, gearing connecting said cellar and said sleeve, whereby to seeure by Letters 30 gitudinally, said "the collar is rotated by the rotation of-the sleeve, and independently-operated mech-.

anism forlocking said collar to said shaft and causing the simultaneous rotation ofthe latter.

5. An engine starter,comrising'axclutch mounted upon theengine s aft,:"-'fi1anuall means independent thereof for throwing said controlled means for rotating said clutch clutch into operative position, and means for disengaging said clutch and holding it in inoperative position upon the starting of the engine.

.6. An engine starter, com

y throwing said clutch position upon the starting 7. An engine starter, loosely of the engine. comprising a collar but movable longitudinally into engagement with the first-mentioned collar,- .the adjacent surfaces of said collars presenting enga in teeth, and means for'moving said collar onnieans including a link ormed oi two rods telescopic inxrespect to each other and normally held apart by the action r fe-spring;

8. l 1bination, an engineshaft, :rnd an .s5 engirie starter for said shaft, s'aid starter ineluding a clutch and a longitudinally inow able link for opcratmg said clutch, sald link .:ompr1smg two rods teloscofneally mounted,

means for moving one of said rods longitudirising a clutch] mounted upon 'the engine s aft, manuallycontrolled means for rotating said clutch, resilient means independent thereof for throwingsaid'clutch into 0 erative position, and

1 means for automaticali 2c 'ontof operation-and holding itininoperative mounted upon the engine shaft,. ."means for rotating said collar, a second colhr non-rotatably -mounted upon said shaft,

naly, catch for presenting .the return of rod, and meansgyzliereb 'theotherrod engages with said catch-$0 li erate'the same both rods and the 'elutch. 4

9. In combination, an engine shaft, and an and permit the longitudinal movement of.

'disengagement'of the engine starter forsaid shaft, said starter ineluding "-a clutch and a. longitudinally-movable link for operating said clutch, said link comprising two rods telescopically mounted, a spring for moving said rods away from each other, one of saidrods being operatively conrods being connected to the controlling mechanism, acatch carriedby the last-mentioned rod and serving to prevent the return of said rod after it has been moved to' bring the clutchinto operation, and means carried by the other of said rods for disengagingsaid catch and permitting the return of said rod and the disengagement of the clutch.

10, In an en ine starter, a clutch, an engine shaft, a collar loosely mounted thereon, means for rotating said collar, a clutch col lar adapted to engage'with the first-mentioned collar, and means 'for, moving said g. clutch collar longitudinally, said means comprising a pedal, a' link of variable length and comprising two telescopic members, and lost' nected to the clutch and the otherlof said 

